The Hottest Day in Pontypandy
by Bobby South
Summary: On the hottest day in Pontypandy, Norman tries to keep himself and his friends cool, but will they end up in danger?


A heat covered the whole of Pontypandy. Everyone was sweating and panting a lot. Tom was in his Mountain Rescue Centre and, despite having his fan on, he was struggling with his work.

"Boy, this heat reminds me of down under back home," he panted.

The Floods' house wasn't running any water! Poor Mike was struggling to fix the problem with the heat cooking on him.

Dilys Price had to leave her shop doors and windows opened and had to watch for pests coming in and out like flies, wasps and mummy's little darling, Norman!

At the fire station, Fireman Elvis Cridlington didn't have any cold meals to give to anyone. And there wasn't any water to spare. Station Officer Steele said they should use the water in emergencies, like field fires and over-burning barbeques. Fireman Sam was worrying about his garden. It hasn't rained for weeks and his plants looked like they were drying out.

* * *

><p>Outside the Fish and Chip Shop, teenager twins Sarah, wearing pink shorts and a pink tank top, and James, in a light blue shirt and in dark blue shorts, were sun-bathing on sundecks under a parasol. Seventeen year old long ginger hair Norman Price, wearing a white shirt and black shorts and cool sunglasses, came by on his skateboard.<p>

"Hey, dudes, what's up?" he asked.

"That's not cool, Norman," James told him. "And it's not the type of coolness we need."

Seventeen year old Mandy Flood, wearing sunglasses and a green tank top and a pink flower skirt, joined them. "Hi, everyone," she greeted. "You look hot, Sarah and James, just like when you're modelling for high school."

"Well, I'm glad we're not at school today," said Sarah.

"Me too," agreed Mandy. "I'm also glad I'm not singing on stage too."

"Well, I can still skateboard in this weather," Norman boasted. "I can skateboard in any weather, including snow."

"Well, we would do something if it was cooler and not hot," said James.

"Something cool, eh?" Norman looked his skateboard and then he looked at the sea. "Guys, meet you on the beach in one hour." And off he ran. His friends wondered what he was thinking.

Assuming it was going to be something to do in the cool sea, Mandy dressed herself into a green bikini, Sarah was wearing a pink bikini and James was wearing blue swim shorts.

"Where's Norman?" asked James. "He's been gone for an hour."

Then a horn beep came. The friends looked ahead to see Norman in green swim shorts on _Neptune_. He drove the boat over to shore. "Well, come on, guys, let's go!"

Sarah saw on _Neptune_ a bunch of wooden planks, ropes and breathing equipment. "Where did you get this stuff?" she asked.

"Who cares?" asked Norman. "Come on!"

* * *

><p>At the fire station, Station Officer Steele was unable to cope with his work on his desk. Then the alarm rang. He ran to answer it. "Sheep lose on the Newtown Road? Well!" He pressed the button and spoke in the microphone. "There are sheep lose on the Newtown Road. Be quick as you can, Sam!"<p>

Fireman Sam, Elvis and Penny Morris got in _Jupiter_ and drove off. It wasn't long before they met Woolly and Lambykins. Elvis and Penny picked them up, while Sam was inspecting the field. He noticed wooden planks missing, some that was hanging down were gone, as well as those that were hanging up.

"Better call Mike to see if he's got any spare planks," Sam thought. He dialled his phone. "Hello, Mike, can you meet me out here at Newtown Road and fix a fence?"

"Oh, Sam, I was going to call your fire station," said the voice of Helen Flood's. "Mike's trapped under the door of his van."  
>"We're on our way," said Sam.<p>

The fire-fighters with the sheep drove in Jupiter to the Floods's Houses. They arrived to see Helen standing by Mike's van. Sam and the fire-fighters got out of Jupiter and lifted the door off Mike. "Thanks, Sam," said Mike.

"Hiding under a trap door does keep you cool from the sun, but it's very dangerous," smiled Sam. "Don't it again."

"I didn't do it on purpose, Sam," protested Mike.

Sam inspected Mike's van and saw the metal clamps were missing. "Where did they go?" he asked.

* * *

><p>They were at on Sarah's and James's feet on the sea. They were water-skiing behind <em>Neptune<em>. James was having the time of his life, whereas Sarah felt unsafe, because she wasn't on proper water skis and she was just in her pink bikini, with no safety protection.

"How did you learn how to drive _Neptune_, Norman?" asked Mandy.

"It's quite easy," replied Norman.

"Then let me have a go," insisted Mandy.

"No, it's too difficult for you," said Norman.

"If you can do it, so can I!" protested Mandy.

"I'm stopping, anyway," Norman said, putting the brake on.

As the boat stopped, the twins fell into the sea. "That was awesome!" cried James.

"Well, where we're going next will be extra awesome!" Norman told them, chucking them breathing equipment. "Come on, put those on. We're going underwater exploring."

James quickly put his breathing equipment on, while Sarah hesitated a little before she put hers on. Norman and Mandy put theirs on and down all four of them went.

Underwater seemed to be boring. There were fish, but there was no seaweed, no shells, no other sea creatures and no treasure chests. They were running out of air, so they headed back up to _Neptune_. As they got up and took the breathing equipment off, Mandy went to the controls and started to move the boat away.

"Mandy, get away from the controls!" commanded Norman. "_I'm_ the Captain."  
>"Well, I'm relieving you of command!" Mandy snapped back.<p>

Then they were both fighting over the controls and not looking where they were going.

Sarah and James were now feeling uncomfortable at the back of the boat. Sarah saw they were coming up near some rocks! "Guys! We're going to get hit by the rocks!" she shouted.

Norman and Mandy stopped fighting and saw the rocks coming closer to them. Mandy let go and Norman tried to steer the boat away, but unfortunately _Neptune_ hit the rocks and got stuck on.

Norman fell off the boat and was drowning in the water. Sarah fell off too and she was hanging upside down, like a worm on a hook. To make matters worse, the tide was coming in! Mandy took the controls and tried to steer away, but it couldn't move. James was searching for something that could send a S.O.S. signal. He found the firemen's boat suit when they use the boat. Mandy found a stick and put the suit on it like a scarecrow.

"Guys! The water's reaching my face!" cried Sarah, who was not wrong.

"Here, this should keep you occupied," said James, putting breathing equipment on her. He tried to free her trapped leg, but it was still trapped.

"Help! Help!" cried Norman, who was still drowning. Mandy grabbed a ring and threw it to Norman, who caught it and tried to stay level with it.

* * *

><p>Trevor the Bus stopped at Bronwyn's Fish and Chip Shop to have lunch there. "Are you all right, Bronwyn?" he asked.<p>

"Sarah and James have been gone a long time," she replied. "I'm just worried about them."

"Well, that's all the fish out, love," said Charlie, putting a box of fish on the counter. "I better go out and help fish some more out."

"Keep an eye out for Sarah and James, won't you?" Bronwyn said.

"Yes, I will," promised Charlie.

Soon he was off in his boat and off to work. He heard a lot of shouting and screaming. "Probably someone had forgotten to put sun cream on," he chuckled to himself. Then the screaming grew louder. He saw it was heading out to sea and he could see a boat suit looking like a scarecrow. He got out his pair of binoculars and saw something that was the last thing he wanted to see – his children and their friends stuck on a rock with the tide coming in.

"Oh, no," cried Charlie. "I'd better ring Fireman Sam."

_Jupiter_ and her crew drove back to the Fire Station. Just when they were about to get out, Steele came running to them. "Sam, your brother Charlie has found Norman Price, Mandy, Sarah and James trapped on the rocks. Get there as quick as you can."

"Right, sir," said Sam.

"But what about lunch?" asked Elvis.

"A fireman never lets his appetite get in the way of his duty, Elvis," Sam told him, as _Jupiter_ drove off.

* * *

><p>Soon they arrived at the boat house, but they couldn't find <em>Neptune<em>.

"Where has _Neptune _gone?" asked Elvis. "You don't think she's been stolen?"

"I think so, Elvis; one with ginger hair," replied Sam. He dialled his phone. "Charlie, we're going to need your boat."

Meanwhile, things were getting worse for the kids. Sarah was nearly out of breath, the waves were getting rougher and the tide was coming in and Norman couldn't hold onto the ring anymore.

All hope seemed to have faded away, save one – a fisherman's boat's horn.

"Hey, it's Dad!" cried James.

"And Fireman Sam!" added Mandy.

Charlie's boat stopped near the rocks. Elvis led James and Mandy on the boat, Penny helped Norman out of the sea and Sam, using Charlie's axe, broke the rocks and freed Sarah. Then he tied the ruined _Neptune_ back on the boat and the boat drove back to shore.

* * *

><p>Their parents were so relieved that their kids were okay, except Sarah who had a broken leg and Norman who was in big trouble.<p>

"It is a hot day today, Norman, but that was no reason for you to steal _Neptune_, waste all the firemen equipment and put your friends' lives in danger!" Sam snapped at him.

"Sorry, Sam," apologized Norman.

"You're seventeen years old and you still haven't learnt anything?" Penny snapped.

"He thinks just because he's the best skateboarder and the best sports student, he's perfect," Dilys told them. "I try to tell him it doesn't work like that, but he never listens."

"Well, Mandy may be a good student, but she is clever due to her studying," Helen said.

"And Sarah and James are as clever as they are good models," added Bronwyn.

"Good _role_ models, too," added Sam.

"Norman, just for that, I'm going to teach you a lesson!" yelled Dilys. "It will be doing something cool."

"Cool as in awesome?"

"To my mind, yes!"

Soon Norman found out what the lesson was – moping and cleaning the shop, while Dilys with everyone on the beach waiting for a barbecue that Elvis and Mike was cooking.


End file.
